Monday, March 16, 2009

Nasty Low

If there is one way to get out of cleaning your room....go low!

Yesterday while Kacey was cleaning up her bedroom, she said she didn't feel too well. She had "the look". As a Mom, I've become more intune to "the look"...yep the "low blood sugar look". Kacey gets this certain glaze in her eyes and the last few times shes gone low, I've been able to pick up on it. BUT..."the look" wasn't her only symptom. She was sweaty, clammy, had the "shakies" and a sick stomach on top of those. This is the first time shes gotten multiple symptoms. She tested... 56! She had just tested an hour before and was a 123 but said she "felt funny". Did she feel the low coming? Was she dropping so fast that her body was reacting earlier than it should have? I'll never know but what I do know is this low knocked her off her feet! Since it was lunchtime, she went on and ate lunch. After she ate, she layed down on the couch and closed her eyes.
Me : "Kacey, are you ok?"
Kacey: "No Mom, I'm sick."
Me: "Sick? Diabetes sick or Real people sick?" (it's a shame when you have to use those 2 things to distinguish which type of sick she is!)
Kacey: "Diabetes sick"
Me: "OK, whats wrong? What hurts?"
Kacey: "Nothing hurts, I'm just diabetes sick."
Me: "Sick of diabetes? Or really sick?" (Haha! Imagine the confusion trying to get her to tell me what was wrong)
Kacey: "No Mom! My stomach is sick and I just need to lay here!"
Me: "OK but don't close your eyes and I need you to talk to me."
Kacey: "But Mom, I need to close my eyes because I have to rest."
Me: "Can't you rest with your eyes open?"
Kacey: "No because I'm trying to tell my blood sugar to come up!" (HAHAHAHA!)

This low is the first low that really scared me. Don't get me wrong...all lows are scary but this one really took a toll on her. It was like I was watching someone trying to bring their blood pressure down. She was laying very still and very quiet. She was waiting for her sugar to come up. After about 45 minutes, it was as if nothing had happened and she was back in her room playing. I teased her and told her I think her body just wanted to get out of cleaning her room ;) We both had a good chuckle but it still didn't take away the fact that "D-Low Demon" got in the way.

I know lows are scary for her and I'm very good at hiding how much they scare me. We did get a chance to talk later in the evening about this low because whenever she's gone low before, she's only had one symptom. This time there were multiple symptoms warning her. I praised her for knowing something didn't feel quite right and coming to test. I'm thankful she's at the age that she can feel them when they do come on. She said that it made her feel sleepy and like she didn't have any energy but it didn't make her grumpy. (LOL...nah the "grumpies" are highs) She went on to tell me that it felt like her brain was thinking but her hands and legs wouldn't do what she was thinking. I'm guessing thats what they mean when they talk about feeling confused? Also, her lowest ever was a 48 and this was a 56 and she said she felt lower than she did when she was 48.

Frustrating!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh I know that look all too well. Tristan also gets this glossy look in his eyes. When he's low, he also tries to go to sleep and we won't let him. You are very lucky that Casey feels the low, Tristan still doesn't so sometimes when we catch it, he's in the 30's ;(

Amy said...

Jada gets that same look, too and will often get really quiet. Last week, however, she had a weird one. She was 47 and no symptoms what so ever.

Jill said...

Rachel~ I can only imagine how scary it is seeing a 30!

Amy~ The 48 that Kacey had she felt no symptoms either! I even made her retest that time because we thought it was wrong. The number alone was enough to send her into a panic and the shaking she got was nerves from being scared. What I had to explain to her was, it was just a number and she was still walking and talking and very aware of everything so she was fine! This low she just had yesterday, even though it was a 56, she was wiped out!

LOL @ us Mom's knowing "the look"

Scott K. Johnson said...

Lows suck. 'nuff said. Glad she was up and feeling better quickly. Sometimes they can really wipe me out!

Shamae (Ghost written by Loren her hubby) said...

Ya i hear ya. With my daughter (5) she usually tells us when she feels low but it always un-nerves me. Her lowest we've recorded was 37. It happened after she was in bed and we couldn't bring it up. After about 60 carbs (over the course of about an hour) we got her up to 75 and then she started dropping again. Then she had a type of seizure. Needless to say, she got put in the hospital with an IV. Scary stuff. That is great your dd is getting to know when she is low. I don't think, as a parent, we will ever feel comfortable with this. Good thing for the internet and other parents who really and truly know what it's like to parent a kid with Type 1.

Cara said...

Sometimes a low will hit harder, even though it might not be as low as another. One time I may be in the 40s and walking/talking/no symptoms and another time I may be 50 and feeling like I'm getting ready to pass out.
No idea why that happens.
And you can feel low and test and be fine, but dropping so fast your body is already feeling it.